Thunder and Toadstools
by wawwhite
Summary: Percy gets detention and finds something a friend.


As thunder bellowed in the inclement skies above, Percy was feeling downtrodden and oppressed. Sent on an errand for Hagrid into the Forbidden Forest was the worst punishment that he could imagine, especially since he still maintained that he had done nothing wrong. After it was Charlie who been acting like an idiot, and he had deserved getting yelled at. Percy did admit that perhaps their argument should not have taken place in the library. This dreadful weather did nothing to help matters. He thanked his lucky stars that Hagrid had been willing to let him serve detention in the late afternoon instead of making him wait until it was (more frighteningly) night.

As he stepped carefully over an ancient pine's roots, he thought glumly to himself that he should be grateful that (even as a third year) he was considered responsible enough to go into the Forest alone. Suspiciously, he thought Hagrid had taken pity on him, since he had only sent him to gather a bag full of mushrooms... or toadstools. Yes, toadstools. Magic ones. He did not care to know why the giant was planning on using (green with yellow stripes) magic toadstools. Hagrid had assured him that there were clusters of them right on the south edge of the Forest, but Percy had yet to see a single fungus, toadstool or not, which only made him angrier.

Toadstools! Of all the idiotic things! Stupid Charlie; this was all his fault – playing keep-away with a rare book on ancient runes was so immature. Percy sniffed and pushed his glasses back up his nose; he was getting overheated as he trudged through the thick undergrowth. He was so preoccupied with grumbling to himself, while avoiding as much nature as he could, that he was taken completely off guard when he tripped over a log lying in the long grass.

Letting out a word his mother would most definitely not approve of, Percy scrambled up while trying to brush off his clothes and straighten his glasses. After managing to right himself, he looked around to find the offending log to give it a most deserved kick.

To his dismay the "log" was rolling (rolling!) in the grass, laughing at him. Percy glared. It was a girl, Percy could see, a Gryffindor by her red and gold shirt, and with brown hair tumbling out of her pony tale. Percy waited, impatiently, until the girl regained control of herself and sat up. After she finished wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes, she gaped up at him and gasped, "Oh, you should have seen yourself! Your expression was priceless when you fell!" Percy did not find this amusing whatsoever. So he cleared his throat.

The girl grinned, "Sorry, about that, I was sure you could see me. Guess I was better hidden than I thought. Maybe you should pay more attention to where you're going than lumbering around, or do you like falling flat on your face?"

Percy's already deep frown deepened as he snarled, "I don't lumber! Maybe you shouldn't lie around in the grass where people are walking!"

The girl sat up straighter and said with a look of glee, "Look around, Percy, we're the only two out here!"

Percy folded his arms across his chest and humphed. As his anger faded, he felt embarrassed, but he was not about to apologize, so he tried changing the subject. "What's your name again?"

The girl smiled, "I'm Katie. Maybe we should hang out more, so you can learn my name. Or do you just forget all the girls' names?"

Percy shook his head and again tried to distract this Katie-girl from his (minor) flaws. He half-handedly squatted, careful not to touch any more of the grass than he had to as he asked, "what are you doing out here, anyway? You're not supposed to be in the Forbidden Forest. That's why it's Forbidden."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Know-it-all. I'm not in the forest, I'm along the edge. I'm bug-watching."

"What?" Percy thought maybe sitting next to her might have been a bad idea.

"I'm looking for bugs. Butterflies, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, spiders–"

"Spiders aren't insects."

Katie put her hands on her hips, "I didn't say insects, I said bugs. You know – creepy crawlies?"

"I know that," Percy sniffed, "but why are you looking for... bugs?"

Katie shrugged, "It's fun. I used to do it all the time with my dad. It's just nice getting outside away from everything and everyone once in awhile." Percy nodded; now that he was sitting (mostly) and not worrying about running around in the frightening forest, it was very pleasant out, looming thunder and all. He looked up at the sky as a stiff breeze ruffled his normally well combed red hair.

After a few moments, Katie broke his reverie, "So what are you doing out here, Mr. Percy, in this about-to-rain weather?"

Percy cleared his throat, "I'm helping Hagrid. I'm looking for a certain type of toadstool, but I haven't been able to find any."

"That's kind of you," Katie smiled as if she knew that there was more to the story. "I can help you look, if you like. What's it look like?"

Her offer happily surprised Percy. He stood up and gallantly helped her to her feet, "It's green with yellow stripes. Of course, it's magic, so we have to be careful about touching it. Hagrid said there were bunches of them on the edge of the Forest."

Katie excitedly set off, dragging Percy behind as she gushed, "Oh this fun, just like a scavenger hunt!" Percy would have questioned her, but he doubted she would have listened. Instead, he just held on and tried to avoid branches as Katie dragged him haphazardly across the field. For the next few minutes, Percy followed closely behind, not seeing any reason to her movements until she called out, "Toadstools like shady areas, so we should look under trees and shrubs." Percy frowned at himself, why hadn't he thought of that?

Finally, Katie stopped, and after Percy ran into her, she pointed, triumphantly, "There!" She was right. Directly in front of them, in the shadow of three large oaks was a circle of green and yellow-striped toadstools.

Excitedly, they ran up to the cluster of fungi and peered down. As Katie reached her hand out, Percy pulled it back, and reminded her, "Don't touch; they're not safe."

Katie giggled nervously, "I forgot." Percy rolled his eyes and handed her a bag as he slipped gloves on his hands. With great care, Percy picked up ten of the largest toadstools and laid them in the bag Katie was holding. Grinning, she rolled up the top of the bag. "Are we finished?"

Percy nodded and reached out to the take the bag, slightly dismayed that his new friend... companion rather, was going to be leaving him. As she pulled off the gloves, said thanks, and turned to walk back, he was surprised to find her still following him. He refused to let a smile cross his features as the bouncing girl kept alongside him to return the magic toadstools to Hagrid. As they walked together, the rain began to fall slowly; Katie laughed as they began to run. While the rain poured in rivulets down his face, Percy's heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.


End file.
